This article answers a few frequently asked questions about child custody in Maine.

Talk to a Local Family Law Attorney

Are "parental rights and responsibilities" the same as custody?

Yes.
The phrase "parental rights and responsibilities" is used
interchangeably for the term "custody." It means the continued, legal
obligation that a parent has to care for a child. It includes the right
to live with a child, visit a child, or make important decisions
impacting the child’s welfare. If parents can’t agree together on the
best way to divide their rights and responsibilities, then a court will
come up with a plan for them.

What are the different ways parents (or courts) can divide parental rights and responsibilities?

There
are three basic plans or methods that parents (or courts) generally follow to divide parental rights and responsibilities: shared rights
and responsibilities, sole rights and responsibilities, and allocated
rights and responsibilities.

If you have shared parental rights and responsibilities,
that means both parents have equal access and control over parenting a
child. Parents who share parental rights and responsibilities must keep
one another informed of any major changes affecting the child's welfare
and are required to consult in advance to the extent practicable on
decisions related to the child's welfare. Even with an award of shared
parental rights and responsibilities, it’s possible for only one parent
to provide the "primary residence" for the child (the place the child lives more of the time). On the other hand, the
award may order a sharing of the child's primary residential care by
both parents.

Sole parental rights and responsibilities,
means one parent alone takes care of the child. Although a parent may
receive child support from the other parent, the parent with sole rights
and responsibilities provides the home for the child and controls all
the important decisions. The other parent may have the right to visit
the child, but will need permission before taking the child out of the
primary parent’s physical control. The details and limits of support and
visitation will depend on the conditions the parents agreed to
together, the court has imposed, or both.

Allocated parental rights and responsibilities
means that parents split their duties. This is different from shared
parental rights and responsibilities, which is a joint effort. For
allocated rights and responsibilities, the parents control various
aspects of a child's welfare separately. These duties – like providing
the child’s primary physical residence, parent-child contact, support,
education, medical and dental care, religious upbringing, and travel
boundaries and expenses – may be divided between parents exclusively or
proportionally. Regardless of the control allocated, a parent still may
be required to inform the other parent of major changes in that aspect
of the child's life.

How does the court assign parental rights and responsibilities?

The
"child’s best interests" are the cornerstone to any parenting court
order. Above all else, the court considers the safety and well-being of
the child, which many not necessarily match the preferences or desires
of a parent. The court determines the child’s best interest by applying a
list of factors to the particular case and considering any other factor that has a
reasonable bearing on the physical and psychological health of the
child.

The listed factors include:

the child’s age

this child's relationship
with his or her parents or other important figures in the child’s life

the
child’s preference, if the child is old enough to express a meaningful preferences (e.g., it can't be based on something immature, such as "mommy has a pool")

the stability of any proposed living arrangements for the child

the adequacy of the child’s current living
arrangements and adjustment to present home, school, and community

the parent’s motivation in caring for
the child

each parent’s capacity to allow contact between the child and
other parent, and

how well the parents cooperate in childcare decisions
and in resolving disputes.

Where there has been abuse, criminal
activity by one parent, or if the child is very young, then the court
takes special consideration of those circumstances as well. For example,
it matters if a child under one year of age is breast-fed.

Are mothers given preference over fathers when deciding where children, especially small children, should live?

No.
A court may not give preference to one parent over the other based solely on the parent's
gender or the child's age or gender. However, a court will not ignore situations
like a very young child’s need to be breast-fed by the mother or an
adolescent child’s bond with the father, because the court must consider
the overall physical and psychological health of the child. Nonetheless,
the court can’t give extra weight to age and gender alone.

If I leave the family home, can I still get the parental rights and responsibilities I want?

The
court is going to prioritize your child’s best interest over the rights
and responsibilities you want. Otherwise, the reason why you left the
family home usually won’t count against you. If you left the home
because the other parent either asked you or insisted that you leave,
then that has no impact on a court’s decision on what your parenting
rights will be. Also, if you left because the other parent harmed you
physically or threatened you with physical harm, then your leaving will
not count against you. By the same token, such harm will very likely
count against the abusive parent.

If you left for some other
reason, however, the court may consider this departure and the reasons
behind it when deciding how to award parental rights and
responsibilities.

What happens if a parent violates an order concerning parental rights and responsibilities?

If
a parent violates an order – say you had custody rights for the weekend
but the other parent refused to drop off your child – then either of
you can ask the court for a hearing. If the court decides that a parent
violated a part of the order, the court may find this parent in
contempt, which could carry a fine of at least $100. Also, the court
could give the wronged parent additional visitation to make up for the
time lost with the child and could even modify (change) the existing order with more
specific terms and conditions.

If there is no order determining parental rights and responsibilities, who has the rights to the child?

If
there is no outstanding court order, the father and the mother are the
joint, natural guardians of their minor child and are both entitled to
the care, custody, and control of this child. Neither parent has rights
superior to the other.